Girl power rules for Pride Of Jenni in memorable All-Star Mile victory

Whatever the future might hold for the All-Star Mile amid this year’s discourse surrounding its place as a legitimate part of the Melbourne autumn racing landscape, one fact is not up for debate.

Pride Of Jenni rates as the equal of any All-Star Mile winner after she sank her rivals with a brand of sustained, front-running speed that gave nothing else a chance and left her trainer Ciaron Maher almost awestruck.

Let loose by her jockey Declan Bates, Pride Of Jenni turned what was billed as a match race between herself and Mr Brightside into a war of attrition.

And she won – convincingly.

The 2024 All-Star Mile was put under the microscope like never before as a bona fide autumn attraction when the field fell away because of retirements, injury and a simple reluctance from some connections to take up the challenge to weight-for-age star Mr Brightside.

Racing Victoria had to scramble for numbers but came up short of getting a capacity field, cobbling together 12 runners for a race, which at $4 million is the richest on offer in Melbourne during this time of the year.

But in the manner in which she powered through the sectionals, it wouldn’t have mattered who turned up against Pride Of Jenni on Saturday.

The winner of the Empire Rose Stakes and the Champions Mile at Group 1 level during last year’s Melbourne Cup carnival was in a race of her own when she found her rhythm once Bates took her to the front after 400m.

Pride Of Jenni kept the field rolling along, eventually holding off a belated challenge from the favourite and last year’s winner Mr Brightside to score by two lengths.

Godolphin veteran Cascadian banked another All-Star Mile placing in finishing a length away third.

PRIDE OF JENNI WINS THE ALL-STAR MILE! @cmaherracing pic.twitter.com/3pibFAiU8E

— 7HorseRacing (@7horseracing) March 16, 2024

Pride Of Jenni becomes the first older female to win the All-Star Mile.

Mystic Journey won the inaugural edition as a three-year-old filly but except for minor placegetters Alizee (2019) and Melody Belle (2020), mares have struggled to make an impact on the race.

But exactly 12 months to the day after she was denied a Group 1 breakthrough when nosed out in the Coolmore Classic in Sydney, Pride Of Jenni set the record straight and Maher could scarcely believe what he was watching.

“She is quite special because you don’t get horses that can do that,” he said.

“Most horses have a 600-metre sprint but she seems like she can do it for half a mile or 1000 metres. She’s unbelievable.”

Former Irish jockey Bates said an alliance with Pride Of Jenni’s owner Tony Ottobre would go down as a turning point in his career.

“Tony, he has changed my life basically giving me this opportunity,” Bates said.

“To repay the faith and pull off the rides and execute them, it’s so satisfying.”

For Maher, there was never any doubt that Bates could execute the right ride to bring Mr Brightside undone in the Lindsay Park star’s bid for back-to-back All-Star Miles.

“He understands her, and you’ve got to have the confidence to ride her like that,” Maher said.

“I said, ‘don’t worry about that, you know the horse, trust yourself and the horse, just ride the race’.”

A return clash between Pride Of Jenni, Mr Brightside and Cascadian seems almost certain for the $3 million Australian Cup over 2000m at Flemington on March 30.